Drinking cup for use by infants and invalids such as chair and bedridden patients



Sept. 2, 1952 w w, 2,608,841

' DRINKING CUP FOR USE BY INFANTS AND INVALIDS I SUCH AS CHAIR AND BEDRIDDEN PATIENTS Filed Nov. 16, 1950 v INVENTOR. flaw/maze Patented Sept. 2, 1952 DEN EATIEEIS with... W. Rice, Chicago; 111. Application Novemb r 6. 1950. Serial natee;

2 Claims. I 1

My n ntion relates to. .rtain and fni imp o em s lindrih s e as to u e by in: fants and invalids-s Mir bedridden p ents s such the 'inventi plified. an i proved arransehif feeding iqu o e' htantgo. ,atient ano for controlling the flow of fluid'from' the cup during such feeding and drinking.

My present invention constitutes an improvement over thatshown in my pendingapplication Serial No. 103,447, filed July '7, 1949.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a cup especially, adapted for use by infants and bedridden patients whereby the flo o fluid ma b sily contr d. through the simple operation of an arrangement ptovided for that purpose. v I v An ther o j ct f t e vention to p ovide such. a drin g p w h i9l .l rises rela ively few parts resulting in the at an economical cost.

Qther objects will appear her in r.

The inventio co ts he no e mbination and rrangement of parts to he he after described and claimed. L

The invention will be best Understood byl f ierence o the a c mpany g drawings showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

n anufacture thereo Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the invention showing the same in use; p v

Fig. 2 is an n arged roeinehtary sectionaidetail View of the cap or cover portion of thecup;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the fluid con- .trol valve showing the same in closed position;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail view, similar to that shown in Fig. 3, but showing a modified form of construction.

The preferred form of construction of my invention is shown in the drawings. In such drawings a cup is indicated at [0. 'This cup may be formed of any suitable material best suited for the purpose and preferably of a material which will withstand breakage, washing or cleansing.

In the present instance this cup at its open end portion is provided with an enlarged collar II. In this collar l l is tel-escoped the flange portion I? of a cap or cover IS. The telescoping section of the cap [3 is ofiset with respect to the side walls 14 thereof to provide a shoulder l5, serving to limit the insertion of the cap l3 into the collar H.

It is preferably desirable that-there be frictional engagement between the telescoping portion o he can and he collar U- suc an ar ansein ht is desirable so as to prev nt accide al removal of the cap from the cup.

The top wall t of the n n 3 s pro ided wi h n, o ening l1 through wh h projects a neck p tio 18 oi a valve lflfinch. val 1. rovides a flange 2.0 which limits the proj cti n t eck portion !8 the e f through the one The val e comprise at the a IS a l i o, eci kn -1 hollow oohstrhqtio an p ovide' lfih its onwal w an pe g .22.- A parti ion 23 s ior ned' a 9. We oe w llso'i hehnoh' 2 above t1 pa tit it. te med. openings 2 whi h a. dented to res: ister with passages 25 formed'in the all 16 While I. ha e sh wn wo of suoh-onenihssan passage i is ob i us that any o such openings or passages may be provided.

To rot ab y securethe alve tto the to of the w ll, It I'fixedly cu n he neck l8 e a ninscollaiil e The valve 9 is loca ed. li htly i wardl from he ad cen side al of the o itwhe hy'when he con held he hand themonner shown n. F gl. theindex finger o the hand ma be olaoedf non theknoh 2 to cl eethe penin 22. hereby to r gnla lethe amount ofa r to he ad nitted through-th p ssage 25-.

The lan 'e Z0 llasfihilldfi finger; .2 i rh eol. s art the eof. Whenthe op nings 2 els with he p ss es 2. this index fins loc ted: ia posi ion esigna ed3Qp n Dneaoh ef' he kno '2! arestopp ns 8 ca ied by the; top wall l5. These stop pins 28 cooperate with the index finger 21 to limit the rotation of the valve l9 to a position where the openings 24 are in non-registering position with the passages 25. Extending upwardly and outwardly from the side of the cap opposite the valve [9 there is provided a nipple 29 having a passage 30 formed I therein. This nipple is of a form which is most convenient to the user when such nipple is placed in themouth.

When the device is used to feed a nursing baby the passage of air through the passages 25 are partially blocked by rotating the valve l9 toward either of the stop pins 28. This allows the nursing baby to regulate the flow of liquid from the cup by sucking the liquid therefrom. If the mother desires to increase the flow of the liquid through the nipple during the feeding of the infant the mother merely opens communication between the openings 24 and the passages 25 by turning the knob. She then regulates the flow 3 of fluid by placing her finger upon the knob over the opening 22.

When the device is used by a bed or chairridden patient, the patient himself may regulate the flow of fluid through the nipple 29.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated a modified form of construction of a valve for controlling admission ofairinto-the-cup. In this connection a neck l8 'jofa valvefiilflis threaded into a socket 20. The valve provides a valve head 2! which is adapted to engage a valve seat 22 to close passage through the opening 23'. The structure and function of this valve is otherwise similar to that shown in Fig. 2.

As will be apparent from the foregoing description my invention is especially useful in feeding liquid to infants and chair or bedridden patients. As it comprises relatively few parts it can be manufactured at an economical cost. The

cap may be separated from the cup by the simple operation of withdrawing the telescoping portion thereof *from within the cup.. This permits cleansing of the several parts making up my imferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. L-therefore; do not' wish, to be limitedto the preoisedetails of constructionset forth, but desire to avail myself of such varia-v tions and modifications as come within the scope of theappendedclaims.

Having thus described. my invention; ,what I claim as new and desire to" protect by" Letters Patent is: I

1. A drinking cup for the purposes herein set forth comprising a cup portion, a cap for said cup portion including a portion adapted to telescope frictionally into the openend of the cup, a nipple formed integral with the cap at one side thereof and providing a passage communicating with the cup, a rotatable air. control valve frictionally'carried by the cap at the side thereof opposite the nipple and having an opening formed therethrough adapted to be closed by the index finger of a hand supporting the cup, said valve having passages formed: in 'its"side walls and communicating with said opening, said top wall of the cap having a passageformed therein communicating with said opening of the valve 4 through said valve passages, said telescoping portion of said cap being ofiset with respect to the side walls thereof to provide a shoulder limiting the insertion of said portion into said cup.

2. A drinking cup for the purposes herein set forth comprising a cup portion, a cap for said cup portion including a portion adapted to telescope frictionally into-theopen end' of the cup,

a. nipple:formed 'integral with the 'cap at one side thereof and providing a passage communi- I eating with the cup, a rotatable air control valve frictionally carried by the cap at the side thereof opposite the nipple and having an opening formed therethrough adapted to be closed by the index finger of'a hand supporting the cup, said valve having passages formed in its side walls and communicating with said opening, said top wall of the cap having a passage formed therein communicating with said opening of the valve through said valve passages, said valve including a knob portion exterior of the cap to facilitate rotating the valve to disposed thelvalve passages from .or in.closed position withres'pecttosaid cap passage, means for limiting said rotation vof said valve, said telescoping. portion of saidcap being oiiset with respect to the side .walls' lthereof to ,providefa 'sho ilder limiting the insertion of said portionji'nto saidcup.' 1 1 .IWILLIAM W. RICE.

' asaisss e iicun The followingLreferencesareof record in the file of this patent: UNITED STATES PATENTS Number: -Name Date 'D. 22,028 Haviland Dec. 6, 1392 224,479 Rubin i Feb. 10,1880, 561,854 Ballard et a1. June 9, 1896' 951,419 1 np y Mar. 8119 0 1,439,372 Web ter Apr. 8, 192a 1,547,731 Boyer'; July 23,1925, 1,639,096 I McMullen Aug. 16, 1927" 1,657,021 McMullen Jan. 24, 1928 2,330,019 f Vaughn' 803,1. Sept. 21, 1943 2,372,281 Jordan" Mar. 27, 945. 2,447,870 Polcyn Aug. 24,1948 2,456,989 Polcyn Dec.' 21,1948 2,531,614; -M1ch 1 Dec.f19, 1959 J .IFOREIGN-PATENTS Number Country Date 15,716 Australia eb; 22,1935 

